Purchasing new tank - need opinions/help

pedzola

pedzola

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Aug 26, 2005
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I'm looking to purchase a larger tank for my loaches, and red tail shark. I have some questions, and I'd like to get some feedback on the items I've selected.

1) The tank I'm looking at is the Tenecor 75L rectangular "show" aquarium. 60x18x16.

2) Stand would be homemade unless I can buy something that looks nice under $300.

3) For filtration, I'm thinking 2 Emperor 280's. I looked at Eheim pro filters, but for the price it doesn't seem worth it. I get more GPH and easier maintenance w/the Emperors. Anyone have a better idea?

4) Thinking about 2x Visi-Therm Stealth heaters. Although, 2 heaters and 2 HOB filters sounds like it might get kinda ugly. Anybody have an external solution for heating + filtration that will be adequate and not cost me $500?

5) Lighting - I have no clue. Every tank I've bought so far has had some kind of hood or fixture come with the tank. This one has nothing, so I don't know what will fit. Any ideas?


Hoping I can swing the whole tank for less than $1000. I'm open to suggestions for the entire setup - I'm not married to anything I listed. I just want the best for my loaches and shark.

So if you want to suggest a different tank, please keep in mind that the footprint of the tank is my primary concern. I'd like as long and wide as possible, and preferably not taller than 20".

Also, it's likely that this will end up on a second floor, so I'm thinking anything more than 100gallons is probably going to be too heavy.


Looking forward to your feedback, thanks!!
 
well, I think it sounds pretty good. I'm not sure if those particular heaters are sumbersible, but that is one way to cut down on the junk, place them horizontally, behind some plants or decorations. Also, I highly recommend looking for used tanks if you can find one. I've bought all of mine that way, saved a ton of money, never had any problems. Will you have live plants, that makes a big difference as to your lighting selection. Wish I could be more helpful, good luck!!
 
I would buy some eheim classic filters and then buy some hydor inline heaters and attach them to the classics.

I have 2 Eheims 2217's on my 150G loach tank. But im buildin a sump for my 150 to hide everything else.
 
The dimensions I gave were in inches. The tank is 75gallons-long.

I'm planning not to have live plants. The shark and most loaches prefer lower light I believe. I am perfectly happy w/fake plants. lol Don't real plants get in the way of cleaning your gravel anyway? I tend to over-feed, but compensate w/frequent gravel vaccumings.

I will have to look further into cannister filters... are Eheims pretty much the best? Does anyone have filter recommendations?

Any idea on lighting? Still have no idea what to do about that....

Thanks. :\
 
You can always put heaters behind rocks or plants as someone already said. Or maybe get a really small sump just for the heaters and filters. Don't know how much that will cost you thought.
 
Just hide the heaters with fake plants.

Since the tank has no hood all you need to do is go buy a glass canopy that is in that size, or have a glass shop cut you some pieces, they would be able to make it with hinges for you, and then buy a 60 inch strip light. That might be the hardest part, but you could probably just find 2 - 30" strips and put them end to end.

Since they don't like lots of light you could go with 2 strip lights for 20 gallon long tanks and only have 40 watts, which would be .5 wpg. Probably to dark to even grow algae.
 
I thinkt he tenecor tanks already have some kind of hinged acrylic covers for the openings on top of the tanks.

Do you mean to say I would just sit a strip light on top of that, and not secured in any way?

I guess that would work... *ShruG*

I've seen lights that sort of "suspend" over the top of the tank, either hung from above, or attached with "legs" to the tank itself. Could anybody point me to something like that?? That might be nicer than having a light just sitting there...... I dunno.


I guess I will have to do some research.
 
By the way...since you mentioned it, try not to overfeed :D . I know its tempting, and they seem like they are begging everytime you go by the tank, but its really not good for the fish (never mind making more work for yourself by having to do the extra maintenance to compensate). A well balanced diet is much better than too much food :D
 
I overfeed because I feel like a couple of the fish get all the food before the others get a chance. So I try to put a lot at once so everyone can get some. Needless to say, some ends up in the gravel.

My shark is currently isolated because he can't get along with other fish. A few weeks ago he stopped eating. He used to eat anything and everything....

So I overfeed his tank in hopes that he eats something I put in there. He must be eating SOMETHING cause his tail is still bright red... I try flakes, granules, wafers, pellets, frozen, freeze dried, floating, sinking...

I put a combo of a couple in at every feeding, and he just looks at me from his cave like I'm smoking something expecting him to eat it.
My hope is that he eats when I'm not around. I recently added some ghost shrimp to his tank to help w/cleanup (or maybe he'll eat them - that would be fine too).


ANYWAY I'm hoping he can live in peace w/the loaches in a big tank, which is really what this is all about. If he doesn't then I put him back in his 20-long and I'm left w/a huge tank for my clowns and yo-yo's. No biggie. lol
 
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